Law Group Seeks End To Secret Vote On Judges

August 27, 1985|By John Schmeltzer.

A petition asking the Illinois Supreme Court to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the selection of associate judges has been filed by the Du Page County Bar Association, which is seeking to increase its influence over the choosing of jurists.

The bar association`s petition asks the court to change a rule requiring full Circuit Court judges statewide to keep secret their votes for associate judges. Instead, the petition asks that a record be made of each judge`s vote. At present, associate judges are selected in a secret ballot by all full judges of a Circuit Court and serve four-year terms.

``The purpose of the petition, as I see it, is to improve the quality of the judiciary,`` said Henry Burt, Du Page County Bar Association president.

``If you sit as a member of the legislature, a city council or the county board, your vote is counted and the public has an opportunity to decide whether to keep you in your position.

``A judge`s overall record ought to include his record on his votes for associate judge,`` he said.

Currently, all the state`s full Circuit Court judges are elected by the public and serve six-year terms.

The petition was filed two days after balloting by Du Page`s full Circuit Court judges for two new associate judges resulted in the selection of only one of the bar association`s choices. The judges` vote for the second associate seat ended in a 5-5 tie between former Lombard Mayor Mardyth Pollard and Mary Ellen Provenzale, deputy chief of the civil division of the state`s attorney`s office.

The bar association in July disclosed the names of its three top-rated candidates in what it called ``an effort to negate the effect of outside political pressure`` on the selection.

The release broke a longstanding tradition of the association, but Burt said then that it was hoped the action would give the lawyers organization more influence in the selection process.

The petition probably won`t be heard until after runoff balloting is completed between Pollard and Provenzale, neither of whom were recommended by the bar association, Burt said.

While the bar association`s petition asks that balloting for the Du Page associate judges be halted pending the Supreme Court`s decision on the secret ballots, Burt said that probably wouldn`t occur unless the association receives support from bar groups in Chicago and the Supreme Court decides to hear the petition as an emergency motion.

So far there has been no decision by other bar groups to support the Du Page effort.